We All Ride Together
Axel “Squeaks” Pennysworth
Axel grew up beneath the floorboards of the legendary Signal Cycles workshop in North Portland. While the builders were busy making bike frames above, Axel was busy collecting: a discarded spoke became a handlebar, a dropped O-ring became a tire, a stray bushing became a hub. The nickname “Squeaks” wasn’t in reference to Axel’s tiny voice, but to the ungreased bearings of a first prototype.
Living among the steel tubes and shiny new components, Axel didn’t just learn how to build bikes, they learned what bicycling represented. Axel watched the builders collaborate and the community gather around the workshop, realizing that a bike is truly special when it makes connections.
These days, as the official “spokes”mouse of the Cycle Oregon Community Bike Block Party, Squeaks rides around town on a speedy mini-penny farthing, (handmade, of course), dedicated to showing every rider that no matter how small you are, you can help build a bigger, better bike community by sharing the joy of riding with everyone.
About Axel’s Bike: The 1835 Express
The Portland Penny is an 1835 American copper coin famously used to decide the city’s name during a two-out-of-three toss in 1845. After favoring “Portland” over “Boston,” the coin was eventually donated to the Oregon Historical Society, where it remains on display today as a symbol of the city’s unique beginning.
Axel’s custom-made penny farthing is a rolling tribute to that historical coin toss- proving that in Portland, you don’t need a fortune to get things moving, you just need a bit of grit and heart full of community.
Artwork by Matt Cardinal, a renowned Portland bicycle frame builder (Signal Cycles) and artist whose work captures the bike-fun and DIY spirit of the Rose City.